Street & sidewalk repair
Fixing and maintaining roads, sidewalks and curb ramps so they are smooth and accessible.
Residents consistently ask the City to fill potholes, repair and level broken sidewalks, and add accessible curb ramps, with a focus on safety for seniors and people with disabilities.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
169 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 55 | 4.5% | 12 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 59 | 4.9% | 8 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 55 | 4.2% | 12 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Fill potholes and repave rough streets
Residents across all three cycles ask for potholes to be filled and damaged streets repaved, citing vehicle damage, crashes and risks to cyclists and pedestrians.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Repair uneven and broken sidewalks
Cracked, uneven, root-lifted and brick sidewalks are described as trip and fall hazards, especially for older adults, wheelchair users and families with strollers.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Accessible curb ramps and crossings
Residents ask for repaired and added curb ramps and accessible crossings, noting that ramps are of little use next to broken sidewalk.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Tree roots and tree pits that damage sidewalks
Residents ask for fixes where roots lift sidewalks or trees narrow the walking space, including permeable paving and no trees planted mid-sidewalk.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Priority for seniors, schools and underserved areas
Residents ask that repairs go first to places used by older adults and children, such as senior housing, schools and Chinatown, and to neighborhoods that feel overlooked.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas centered on sidewalk repair and accessibility, with calls for citywide sidewalk audits and master plans, help converting private ways to public streets, and pothole fixes.
2025–26
Many near-identical ideas from Chinatown asked for repairs to cracks, potholes and uneven streets near senior housing and schools, alongside broad pothole and street repair requests.
2026–27
Sidewalk repair in front of Chinatown shops and near key destinations was prominent, along with many short citywide requests to fix roads and potholes, plus new asks on snow clearing and repair scheduling.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include city-run sidewalk snow clearing, scheduling road work at low-disruption times, permeable paving over tree roots, and prioritizing repairs near senior centers, bus stops and business frontages.
Funding so far
No winning project in this theme was funded by resident vote, so recurring asks for pothole repair, sidewalk repair, curb ramps and fixes to tree-root damage have not yet been addressed.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Public Works
- Boston Transportation Department
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Street & sidewalk repair
169 ideas
2024–25: 55 · 2025–26: 59 · 2026–27: 55
- Fix uneven sidewalks for accessibilityResident asks the city to repair uneven sidewalks that create accessibility and safety problems for people using mobility aids and parents with strollers.2024–25City-wide
- Cut back overgrowth blocking Foster Street sidewalkResident asks that shrubs and vegetation along a wall near 131 Foster Street be trimmed, since they block the sidewalk and hinder pedestrians heading to school, park and businesses.2024–25Brighton
- Repave Blue Hill Ave after pipe workRepave Blue Hill Avenue up to the Dewey St area, which was torn up for pipe work since summer 2023 and remains unrepaired.2024–25Roxbury
- Repair Washington Street sidewalks in RoslindaleFix badly damaged, non-ADA-compliant sidewalks on Washington Street in Roslindale that are unusable for people with carts, strollers and wheelchairs.2024–25Roslindale
- Paint the Tobin Bridge and other rusted bridgesResident asks the city to paint the Tobin Bridge and other rusted bridges, noting they are overdue and the rust is an eyesore.2024–25Charlestown
- Fix or replace missing street trees and tree holesResident asks the city to replace missing street trees or patch the empty tree holes so sidewalks are more even and safer, especially in lower-income areas.2024–25City-wide
- Sidewalk and street repairResident asks for sidewalk and street repairs.2024–25Roxbury
- Repair cracked sidewalks street by streetResident asks for broken, cracked concrete sidewalks to be fixed street by street because they are dangerous tripping hazards, especially for seniors.2024–25City-wide
- Convert private ways to public streets without owner costResident asks for a way to turn a private way into a public street without the owners bearing the cost.2024–25Mattapan